Rossi does 2022 Ducati deal
Ducati to make up a third of the grid after Rossi confirms team plans for 2022
‘It would be hard for Rossi to pull rank at VR46’
Ducati will supply a squadron of eight Desmosedicis in 2022 – bolstered by the deal with Saudi-backed Aramco VR46 squad.
On paper at least, Ducati will dominate the expanded 24-rider grid with one third of the bikes. The three-year deal with Valentino Rossi’s new team adds to Ducati’s multi-year arrangements with Gresini Racing and loyal partners Pramac. Ducati’s ready supply of bikes highlights the 30 years of tardiness by Suzuki to supply a satellite squad, while Aprilia’s priority is to become more competitive before expanding. Links with the VR46 Academy and the team founded by the late Fausto Gresini are clever and logical, giving Ducati influence over a pipeline of young Italians. Some concerns have been expressed that it is too many Ducatis. Not so fast. In 1996 there were eight Honda NSR500s on the grid including HRC entries for Mick Doohan, Alex Criville and Tady Okada.
Five privateers were happy to fork out hefty lease/parts fees for Honda’s glorious stroker that pumped grid numbers. Then, as now, Suzuki had a two-bike factory entry.
Twenty five years on and Ducati would also have crunched the numbers enticed by projected fees of around £8 million for bikes and technical support. A nice side deal that boosts race team resources? Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna has already told MCN that Ducati’s build capacity for six GP22s is no problem, saying: “Ducati can make six official bikes. The budget programme for riders and motorcycles is more a problem for teams than us.”
The eight Ducatis next year will compromise the six GP22s and two existing GP21s - in the spec of this year’s factory riders Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller. Proposed allocations are that VR46 and Gresini will each get a combination of one GP22 and one GP21 machine.
Rossi’s brother Luca Marini should get the GP22 at VR46, a handy upgrade from the GP19 he is riding this year. Meanwhile, Gresini team rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio will be on this year’s competitive GP21, no bad start for MotoGP.
VR46 have appointed Pablo Nieto as team manager with a reduced Rossi paddock presence to accommodate his enthusiasm for a GT3 car racing career. That is always assuming he finally confirms his retirement from MotoGP at the end of this season despite the urgings, and big budget on offer from Saudi Prince Abdulaziz, to race alongside Marini in 2022. Rossi, 43 next year, continues to assert that his retirement decision will be based on 2021 results – his fast tumble out of the Dutch TT was his third DNF in nine races. He has scored just 17 points and the gentle let-down of fans appears to have begun with him saying it will be “very difficult” to race on. He earlier told MCN that he would be hugely reluctant to pull rank at VR46, a move that would baulk the career of academy rider Marco Bezzecchi or rob his own brother, Marini of a GP22.
“Is there a possibility that I will race for my team? It will be very difficult but since I am the boss, if I need a bike I will have no problem!” Rossi commented.
‘Saudi backers want Rossi to race on into next season’